See Ann Marie's original AFIQ quiz here
You may feel that some of these questions cannot be related to the Law of Attraction but, in fact, what these questions are testing is just how much of your thought energy is being diverted to unproductive and even self-sabotaging thought patterns.
Are You..
Uncomfortable alone with your thoughts? Do you avoid being alone when, for example, you have a choice of spending an hour by yourself or meeting a friend?
This is an interesting question as it’s not checking how sociable you are – it’s really asking whether you have deeply buried ‘issues’ that you don’t want to think about. By keeping busy and distracted, you can always push away the uncomfortable thoughts. A healthy balance is to have times when you seek out company as well as times when you enjoy the solitude.
Feeling Envious?
Do you feel jealous or envious of others who may be financially better off than you? The root of envy is our ingrained fear that we are somehow not worthy or deserving of the same abundance that others enjoy. Therefore, seeing examples of success and abundance sparks feelings of jealousy within us. If instead, we can see others’ success as proof - if we needed it - that ‘success happens!’. It is simply a state of mind – shared by all who are truly wealthy and loving it – which is an ‘acceptance of wealth’. This means, simply, that the lifestyle and trappings of wealth are accepted as being deserved and normal. That person has made the mould in their mind, as Robert Collier put it, which corresponds with wealth. There’s no guilt, there’s no incredulity that life could be so good to you – and no beating oneself up as being undeserving. It also helps to remember that we are already wealthy - ( statistically, if you are sitting in front of a computer screen you are near the top of the wealth pile on the planet!) – don’t exaggerate the gap between what you perceive as abundance and where you already are. Instead, find ways to bridge the gap. You deserve it!
Intolerant of others? Do you find yourself frustratingly at loggerheads with those who have views very different to your own?
The phrase ‘unconditional love’ gets bandied about a lot these days. It can be taken to mean a few things, but if you distill it right down, here’s what it means: You love life and the universe unconditionally, such that you are happy just to be alive. You love yourself unconditionally, such that that a hurtful remark, or a ‘failure’ along the way doesn’t bother you. You love others unconditionally, such that that whatever they say or do, you can allow for it freely without feeling threatened. This is key when it comes to our interactions with others. In fact, there is a big difference between ‘tolerating’ and simply ‘freely allowing’. When you love life and all its diversity and when you feel happy and at peace in yourself, the need to impose your will upon others will disappear and you will not only tolerate but freely allow, and even enjoy, all the diversity of creation.
Stressed? Do you feel stressed or do you worry so much that it keeps you awake at night?
Stress is a normal part of life. In fact, if we didn’t have what’s known as a healthy level of stress, we’d be miserable and bored! However, too much stress and worry is a limiting factor in your life. In turn, you cannot truly be giving out a harmonious vibration. The root of stress is almost always a tendency to take on too much and getting weighed down by the responsibility. There is typically a feeling of being ‘not in control’ of your circumstances. Instead, make the mind shift to accepting that what you perceive as stressful circumstances ‘out there’ are actually all emanating from you, then you can get back in control.
In ho’oponopono teaching, we are reminded that we create our physical reality and accordingly, we are responsible for changing it. When you see something you perceive as negative and want to change, there is great power in ‘cleaning’ your thoughts by repeating: “I’m sorry, Please forgive me, Thank You, I Love You.” In cleaning your thoughts, you are cleaning your reality – it’s that simple! Just saying those words, directing the sentiment to the divine, creates an impact. In saying “I’m sorry.” You drop your need for pretence that everything you have created is perfect. It’s quite liberating. In saying “Please forgive me” You can sense the forgiveness being willingly granted and the burden of guilt lifted. In saying “Thank you” there’s a reminder of all that is good in your life. In saying “I love You” it creates a connection and a feeling of reciprocal love. Repeating over and over, it cleans away so much of our needless burdens of guilt, isolation and fear.
Controlled by Others’ Perception of You? Do you care about how others perceive you to a point where it may affect your words and actions?
One common factor that can hold us back, is a fear of others’ reactions. If we have a cherished ambition or goal, it is very likely to involve putting ourselves ‘out there’ in some way. This can be a little daunting, all the more so when we start to imagine the reaction of our friends. Maybe they will mock us, or maybe talk behind our backs perhaps saying that we are getting big ideas or thinking too big. Have you ever seen a really successful person who allowed others’ perceptions to dictate to them? This is a big one to get past. The irony is that, it is the very people who put themselves ‘out there’ and follow their own dreams and goals regardless, it is these people who are admired most.
Dependent upon external props? How dependent are you upon things such as drugs, alcohol, tv, sex, sports, cigarettes, work etc..?
What does this question have to do with the Law of Attraction? A lot, actually! If we need to turn to something outside of ourselves to get peace of mind, or just to feel ‘good’, then we are not in truly happy. It is ultimately our core happiness that is the ‘signal’ we put out to the universe. Too much reliance on any external crutch sends out a signal that this is the only thing that we want. It obscures us to what really brings us excitement. The world is full of people who take short cuts to immediate gratification. The rewards from following our true bliss are so much greater. Make the decision to crave your true excitement.
Controlled by your own rigidly held views? Do you hold strong unwavering views in areas such as morality, politics, religion etc?
We all know someone who has an opinion on everything. Whereas, others amongst us are happy to live and let live, without passing judgement. Where on that scale do you come? Holding extremely strong views – on anything in existence – has the effect simply of narrowing down our vista on the world. In addition, holding that rigid stance in our minds can cause us to literally discount opportunities that the universe puts our way. Perhaps, we refuse an offer of business partnership because we do not agree with the other person’s political views, or we won’t listen to an alternative way of dealing with some obstacle, because we don’t like the guy offering the advice etc… This category can even extend to phobias such as flying, or fear of open spaces, confinement etc… All of these are ultimately beliefs that we are controlled by. The more of these internal beliefs we hold, the more controlled we are. Open up to new alternatives and the opportunities will become a lot clearer.
Angry / Resentful? Do you ever have feelings of resentment, anger or even hatred toward another or others?
Of all the clutter in our minds, the one thing that can most easily trigger an auto-pilot reaction is anger or feeling resentment toward another. Typically we only have to hear the name, or see the person on the street, and we’re off! Emotion runs high and we waste our brain power thinking about that person. For the Law of Attraction to bring about our wishes – the two pre-requisites to manifesting are belief and highly-charged desire. Clearly, when we are caught up in emotive feelings of resentment toward another, our desire emotion morphs into a self-sabotaging anger type feeling. This gets us nowhere, and spoils our harmonious vibes that we want to send out. Remember what you get put is what you get back. Next time you get that trigger, ask yourself, ‘is this the feeling I want to keep re-manifesting?’ If not, then it is up to you to break the cycle.
Missing the ‘Now’ - Living in the past or in the future. Do you spend a large portion of your time thinking about your past or worrying about / wishing for the future?
One unfortunate side-effect of trying to utilize the Law of Attraction is the tendency to think ahead. We set an intention, and then, fall into the trap of wishing it would hurry up and happen! The real secret is to make an intention, then forget about it and get on with enjoying life. It is about demonstrating faith in the process. If we continually notice that what we asked for isn’t here yet, we effectively keep pushing it away. Likewise, a tendency to dwell in the past, perhaps regretting poor financial decisions or relationships that went badly, will only generate more of the same. As in the previous question, always remember that what you put out is what you get back. Wishful thinking for a better future will keep you wishful thinking for a better future, regretting the past will keep recreating more things to regret. It is up to you to break the cycle.
Feeling Separated from Divine consciousness?
Do you feel like you are somehow connected to a higher/divine consciousness? Finally, we come to ‘what lies beneath’! The Law of Attraction did not somehow accidentally come to exist in our universe. Like everything else that exists, it is part of a perfectly designed environment in which we live out our physical experiences. Therefore, all of this perfection must have been created by a God of some sort. It is worth pondering upon what you truly believe in a religious or even purely philosophical sense. Get in touch with the divine and feel your oneness. The Law of Attraction hinges on faith. That is the part most of us cannot quite get our heads around. The most worthwhile exercise for any of us is to build that faith. The more ‘connected’ we feel, the more easily our faith will come. A good test of your faith is in how you approach the process. Do you feel as though you are asking something or someone outside of yourself? Do you feel like you are practicing a ‘law’ that somehow exists in a vacuum? Or do you feel a part of everything and, accordingly, a part of the law of attraction. Remember the power is in you, never outside of you. But you must redefine ‘you’ to know your own divine power.
Go for it!
